The Led Zeppelin reissue campaign continues in 2015, turning the spotlight on the double album Physical Graffiti. The deluxe edition of the group’s sixth studio album arrives 40 years to the day after the original debuted on February 24, 1975. As with the previous deluxe editions, Physical Graffiti has been newly remastered by guitarist and producer Jimmy Page and is accompanied by a disc of companion audio comprising previously unreleased music related to the original release.

It’s a New Orleans kind of week here at Rhino, with a pair of classic ‘70s albums from folks who hail from the Big Easy getting the 180-gram vinyl treatment.

Dr. John, In the Right Place: He was born Malcolm John Rebennack, his friends call him “Mac,” but you probably know him as Dr. John, and if you’re familiar with his music at all, then you know this album, which remains the most commercially successful effort of his career. Produced by Allen Toussaint, In the Right Place also includes the good doctor’s biggest single, “Right Place, Wrong Time,” which kicks off the proceedings in suitably funky fashion. For many, this album was their first introduction to the sounds of Nawlins, and all we can say to that is that there are plenty of worse places to start: songs like “Traveling Mood,” “Life” (a Toussaint composition), and “Shoo Fly Marches On” aren’t just the perfect soundtrack to your next Mardi Gras party, they’re a gateway drug into Dr. John’s discography, and, boy, are they addictive. Plus, it’s on colored vinyl, so it looks pretty awesome, too.

Late last year, as you may recall, we released the 40th Anniversary Theater Edition of Jethro Tull’s Warchild, a 2-CD/2-DVD affair that provided fans with an opportunity to hear – and see – the album in a whole new light. At that time, we also made a point of noting that “if you’re still not hot on the whole CD thing, you can pick up a limited-edition 180-gram vinyl pressing of the album on January 13, so either save your Christmas money or go pre-order it right now.”

Hey, remember back in late November when we released the first wave of our Genesis CD reissues – you know, the ones we’re now putting out individually that were originally part of the Genesis 1970-1975, Genesis 1976-1982, and Genesis 1983-1998 collections – and we said that the vinyl versions were going to be following them in a week?

Uh, yeah, that didn’t happen.

Of course, if you went looking for them that week, then you probably already knew that, so we hope you’ll allow us to say that we’re sorry for the slight delay, but as you also probably know, these things do happen sometimes. Fortunately, all’s well now, and the vinyl versions are here at last, so you may now feel free to commence with the belated rejoicing.

Yes, that’s right: yesterday our Mono Mondays release was Otis Redding’s The Dock of the Day, and today we’re issuing the very same album on 180-gram vinyl. As such, what can we tell you – besides, of course, that it’s going to sound staggeringly good when you give it a spin – that we didn’t cover in our previous piece on this classic effort?

Well, first of all, although we tackled the fact that Redding co-wrote the title track with Steve Cropper, we didn’t really get into the fact that Redding helped composed several other songs on the record, including “Let Me Come On Home,” a co-write with Booker T. Jones and Al Jacobson, Jr., and three solo compositions: “Open the Door,” “I’m Coming Home,” and “Ole Man Trouble.” In addition, there are versions of “I Love You More Than Words Can Say,” written by Jones and Eddie “Knock on Wood” Floyd, and “Don’t Mess with Cupid,” by Cropper, Floyd, and Deanie Parker, along with covers of Billy Hill’s “The Glory of Love,” Jimmy Cox’s “Nobody Knows You (When You’re Down and Out),” “Tramp,” written by Lowell Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin, and Redding’s take on “The Huckle-Buck.”

If the third Saturday in April is one of the first days you circle whenever you buy a new calendar, then you already know when Record Store Day is, but you may not be aware that the folks who put together that most vaunted of days for vinyl lovers have also gotten into the habit of making the most of the day after Thanksgiving, too.

It’s vinyl reissue time again, and this week’s offering is generally considered to be the third album by The Specials, although it’s technically credited to The Special AKA. Why the change in name? Well, you know how it goes with bands: memberships change over time, and sometimes enough members depart to make it seem a little dodgy to keep the band’s name the same.

In the case of In the Studio, which emerged almost half a decade after the previous Specials album (More Specials, released in 1980), there was good reason to view the group as an untested entity, given that Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, and Neville Staple had all headed off for the poppier pastures of Fun Boy Three, leaving Jerry Dammers as the predominant creative force. Not that he hadn’t already been writing songs, but there was definitely a major shift in the material with the aforementioned trio having departed the ranks, particularly in the political content.

Whether you knew him for his artwork or his music, Don Van Vliet – beloved to many as Captain Beefheart – has been much mourned since his death in 2010 at the age of 69, but the man who once helmed The Magic Band has continued to maintain a dedicated following. While his music was generally well out of the mainstream, his seminal album, 1969’s Trout Mask Replica, made such an impact that it was added to the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2010. For many, though, that particular album is the sum total of their Captain Beefheart collection, which is why we’re so excited about the opportunity to expand some people’s musical horizons with our new limited-edition four-disc boxed set, Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972.

Rhino has nine limited edition releases set for Record Store Day Black Friday 2014. A variety of colored vinyl options, multi-LP sets, and an epic picture disc are sure to captivate fans and collectors alike. All roads lead to November 28 when these releases will be available exclusively at select independent music retailers. For a list of participating stores, please visit www.recordstoreday.com.

As our effort to reissue classic albums on 180-gram vinyl continues ever onward, we’re bringing you two very different albums this week: one’s a unique blend of folk, rock, and jazz from a singer-songwriter who’s never been afraid to challenge audiences, while the other is a country-inspired side project from the man who once sang of “Sultans of Swing.”

Joni Mitchell, Hejira: Originally released in November 1976, Mitchell wrote the majority of this album while on a car trip from Maine to Los Angeles, hence the inclusions of songs with titles like “Blue Motel Room” and “Refuge of the Roads.” While not a hit-single machine – only one song, “Coyote,” made even the slightest inroads on that front, and the only place it charted was in Canada, and only at #79 at that – Hejira is generally viewed as one of Mitchell’s classic ‘70s efforts, featuring a more jazz-influenced sound than any of its predecessors but still providing listeners with outstanding material, including the aforementioned favorites as well as “Amelia” and “Black Crow.” It’s perhaps not the best entry point to her career, but for those fans whose musical sensibilities had grown and expanded along with Mitchell’s, Hejira is a very fine piece of work.